We had the good fortune of connecting with Lala Nicole Black and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lala Nicole, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
Proverbs 3:5 ESV
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

I live by this bible verse. I always think on both aspect of not taking the risk and taking the risk. If i don’t take it, I will never know what could truly come out of it, the blessing, the lesson and so on. However, if i take it, I will not only learn but add experience in whatever I am doing. I will then be able to add two more paths (to go left or right) on whatever life journey I am taking.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a Human Resource Professional. Currently I am a HR Manager at a upstate plant. Getting to this career has most definitely had it ups and downs, but I use all of that to get to where I am. Graduating from undergrad, I had no idea this is where I would end up. My first job out of college was working at the Anderson County Disabilities and Special Needs Board. My passion was working in that population. I enjoyed it a lot. After being there for a few years, I relocated to Savannah, Ga area. I remain doing that field of work with Gateway Community Service Board. During that time I worked at two group homes and later went into Case Management. After really doing a lot of work and thinking, I knew I didn’t want to be in the IDD/MH field for the remainder of my career. I had already completed on Masters program and just enrolled in a new one. This is where I started to be tested. I was half way through my Human Resource program and I did the ultimate no no. I was on the verge of being dismissed from the program. Oh mylanta!!! At that point, I had to dig deep and make it work. I had to appeal the school. I had to submit information on how I would change it around. I had to bet on myself and believe. Well lets just say, I don’t take NO for an answer. I was able to complete my program. After that, I was able to land a HR position a few months after graduation. That was in 2020, and since then I have been thriving, getting experience and loving it every step of the way. Ive had amazing mentors as well who guides me and provides insight whenever I need it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oh I love this question. Anyone who has traveled with me know I am the itinerary QUEEN. Since I are located in Greenville, SC there is a lot to be but you have to know where to go, and we are not far from other cities. So for little hangout spots, I would choose Group Therapy, Hoppin’, DT Greenville. For lounges I would choose CigarX or The Wind Down (we love hookah and nice grown up vibe). If we wanted to travel, I would choose Charlotte, maybe go to Carowinds, the Museum of Illusions, Lip n Pour (making custom lipstick). Food spot vary, depending on what we have a taste for (and we know that can be a wide variety) lol.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The first shoutout would be My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The second shoutout would be my village! Where would my life be without them. My foundation is built on being a God fearing Christian. Since I was a little girl, I grew up in the church faithfully. My grandmother made sure we were up and ready to go. As I got older, she would remind us, “if you can go out and party the night before, you can get up to go to church the next morning”, so I have always done that. Lately, I haven’t really attended church as much. For me, I guess I have the church living in me so to say. Meaning I can worship anywhere. My family has always supported me in everything that I have done. I am now 35, and the support is still there. Regardless of what I decide to take on, I have their full support. I have a lot of people who have molded me into the professional and driven woman I am today. They hear from me a lot about how they support me and how much I appreciate them.

Linkedin: Nicole Black

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